Fingernail polish guard



June 19, 1951 PF|$TER 2,557,759

FINGERNAIL POLISH GUARD Filed June 2, 1947 [NI/EN TUR LZiJi FIE TER ATTURN Y Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES EQATENT OFFiCE FINGERNAILPOLISH GUARD Application June 2, 1947, Serial No. 751,911

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fingernail guards and moreparticularly to a fingernail polish protector for use in connection withthe decoration of the fingernails.

The principal object of the invention is the employment of means in theguard for preventing the smearing of the nail polish, and thereby savingthe time of the manicurist and the person whose nails are beingornamented.

An additional object of the invention is the utilization in the deviceof a hinged cover that when raised permits access to the nails for thepolishing operation, and when lowered to a locked position protects thenails from smearing, and thus eliminates the necessity of repeatedapplications of the polish.

- A further object of the invention is the employment of a slidable ringportion or band that is readily adjustable over the body of the guard,whereby the nail is retained in a fixed raised position for thepolishing operation in a most efiicient and expeditious manner, andwhereby varying lengths of fingernails may be readily treated.

' An additional object of the invention is the provision of a notchmeans for detachably retaining the end of the cover in the guard orcasing.

A further object of the invention is the production of a guard of thecharacter described that Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the guardconstructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the device,disclosing the use of an adapter to support the finger, the cover of thedevice being illustrated both in its raised and lowered positions,

Fig; 3 is a top plan view of the guard,

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the guard, the viewbeing taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an end view 'of the device,

Fig. 6 is a modified form of the invention, likewise disclosing amodified form of locking means for the cover, and

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of the modified device, the cover in thisinstance being removed.

The practice of decorating or ornamenting fingernails is well known.After the fingernail polish has been used by the manicurist on the nailsof the patrons, there is ever present the danger of a smearing of thepolish on the nails unless the fingers are retained in a fixed position.Furthermore, the patron if she uses her fingers for any extraneouspurpose while the polish is drying, often soils her clothes or smearsthe polish. In the latter instance, it is necessary to repolish orretouch the nails, which actions occasion a loss of time to both themanicurist and the patron, or other user.

Therefore, to provide a means to overcome these annoyances andinconveniences, and to produce a means whereby the patron has free useof the fingers while the nails are drying I, have equipped bydistinctive guard with a nail protective covering, the unique featuresof the guard and covering being illustrated to advantage in theaccompanying drawing.

Referring to such drawing the numeral 8 designates a tubular-casing orbody preferably made of celluloid or plastic of a distinctive color toenhance the attractiveness or appearance of the same. The said casinghas a plurality of spaced holes 9 therein adjacent its open end If!through which a finger A of the user is inserted, the openings 9 servingto facilitate movement of air to thus more quickly dry the polishapplied by the cosmetician to a fingernail B.

It will be noted, as disclosed to advantage in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive ofthe preferred form of the invention, that the opposite end of the casingis closed by securing a cap H to the casing 8. The said cap is equippedwith an annular inwardly extending flange l2 and is centrally depressedto form a reinforcing wall I 3 that has, an opening l4 provided therein.The depression thus defines a shoulder l5, beneath which the free end ofa resilient curved closure or cover it is frictionally retained andthence positioned in the opening [4 of said wall l3. Accordingly, itwill be obvious that the cap, so constructed, performs many distinctivefunctions. It not only reinforces the casing to prevent the collapse ofthe same, should undue pressure be placed thereon, but its inwardlyextended perforated wall [3 serves to receive the end of the cover toretain it in a closed or locked position, as disclosed to advantage inFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Additionally, the flange preventsdisplacement of a split ring l5 that is adjustably positioned over" theouter periphery of the casing 8, the purpose of said ring beinghereinafter explained.

To permit a lowering of said cover to protect the polished nail B fromcontact with another polished finger, clothing or the like, I propose tohingedly secure the cover 16, as at H, to the casing adjacent its openend. This hinged arrangement is provided by employing a strip ofadhesive material I1 that is secured at one end to the inner peripheryof the casing 8 and at its opposite end to the cover 16. Alternately,the cover is raised to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, when the nailis to be ornamented by the application of the polish, through asubstantially oval-shaped opening [8. that is provided in the upper faceof the casing 8. It will be noted that the edges of the casing at theopening are downwardly curled as at [8' not only to reinforce the same,but also to avoid any cutting or raw edges when the device engages theskin at the sides of the users nails.

The upper enlarged surface I9 of the ring of the invention, is adaptedto receive thereon the tip. of the fingernail B of the patron and saidenlarged surface is recessed to readily conform to the contour of theend of the finger. To. prevent accidental displacement of the ring froma pre-determined adjusted position over the casing, I have providedspaced annular ridges throughout the greater portion of the length ofthe casing. These ridges receive therebetween the restricted portion ofthe ring I5. Due to the inherent resiliency of the casing, the said ringis readily slidable thereover for the predetermined adjustment. Thus, ifa nail is exceedingly long or short, or on the other hand if the fingerof the patron is of similar dimensions an adjustment of the ring by theoperator will compensate for the recited variations.

In Fig. 2, I have disclosed the use of an adapter element 2| thatconsists of a substantially semi-circular resilient strip of celluloidor plastic material. The base of the finger rests on the, upper portionof the adapter, while the lower portion of the adapter is in contactwith a table. or like support. This adapter serves to elevate the fingerand its nail for the correct operative position for the cosmetician toapply the, polish, and it also functions to afford additional resiliencyto the guard when pressure is applied on the nail or finger by theoperator.

In the modified form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 6 and '7, Ihave showna casing 2| made of the same material and of the generalconfiguration of the casing 8. In this instance I have, illustrated adifferent arrangement for hingedly securing the cover to the open end ofthe casing 2|. This is realized by employing an adhesive strip 22, inturn connected to the cover 23 and said casing. It will also be observedthat the, closed end 24 of the casing is provided with a pin 25 that isreceived in an L-shaped slot 26 formed in the free end of the cover. Thesaid slot is slightly off-center relative to the pin, and when thecasing is lowered to the dotted line position of Fig. 6, a locking ofthe cover relative to the end 24 of the casing can be readilyaccomplished.

Varying sizes of guards are employed for the different sized fingers ofthe patrons.

From the foregoing, description considered with the accompanyingdrawing, it will be obvious that I have devised a most unique fingernailpolish guard and associated parts that will readily fulfill a longneeded want in the trade.

It will be understood that the term casing in the claims includestubular casings as well as split casings, some of which may not entirelysurround the finger.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herewith shown anddescribed are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and thatVarious changes relative to the material, size. shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a tubular casingadapted for mounting over the end of a finger of a user and having astencil opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said fingerwhereby to expose the nail to be ornamented that is retained within saidcasing, and a ring member adjustably positioned over said casing, saidring member having means for retaining the end of the fingernail in afixed position relative to said stencil opening and for masking aportion of the forward end of the stencil opening adjacent saidfingernail end.

2. A device of the character described comprising, a thin shell-likebody formed and curved to cover the end portion of a finger and providedwith an opening dimensioned to expose and generally conformed to theshape of a fingernail, said body having tubular gripping means forgripping the finger rearwardly of the nail thereof, and a cover memberhingedly secured to said body at one side of said opening anddimensioned to overlie and cover said opening and being detachablysecured at its free end to said body at an opposite side of saidopening.

3. A device of the character described comprising, a thin walledresilient shell-like body formed and curved to cover the end portion ofa finger including the nail thereon and provided with an elongatedstencil opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said finger andhaving a transverse dimension permitting the insertion of the forwardend of the nail through said opening and into overlying position on aforward portion of said body, means connected to said body forresiliently clasping a finger rearwardly of the nail thereon to positionsaid body on said finger as above described, and a cover member hingedlysecured at one end to said body rearwardly of said opening and coveringsaid opening and being detachably secured at its free end to said bodyforwardly of said opening when said cover member is in one of itspositions and exposing said opening when said cover is in another of itspositions.

4. A device of the character described comprising, a thin walledresilient body member of elongated form curved in transverse section forcovering the end portion of a finger including the nail thereon, saidbody member being formed with an elongated stencil opening generallyconforming to the shape of the fingernail, the forward edge of saidopening being formed for insertion under the forward extremity of thefingernail and between such extremity and the finger thereby positioningthe forward extremity of the fingernail in overlying position, to theportion of said body member forwardly of said opening, finger grippingmeans provided on said body for positioning said body on a finger, and acover member having opposite ends, means for hingedly securing saidcover member to said body member at one of the ends of said cover memberand means for detachably securing the opposite end of said cover memberwith said cover member overlying said opening, whereby said opposite endof said cover member may be detached from said body member and saidcover member may be moved to a position so as to disclose said opening.

5. A device of the character described comprising a body formed andcurved for embracing the end portion of a finger of the user, said bodybeing provided with a stencil opening conforming to the shape of thenail of said finger and adapted to expose the finger nail through saidopening when said body is in position on the finger, a closure memberand means for attaching said closure member to said body in position forcovering and uncovering said opening.

6. A device of the character described comprising a body formed andcurved for embracing the end portion of a finger of the user, said bodybeing provided with a stencil opening conforming to the shape of thenail of said and adapted to expose the fingernail through said openingwhen said body is in position on the finger, a closure member and meansfor attaching said closure member to said body in position for coveringand uncovering said opening, said opening having a plurality of sides,said means for attaching said closure member including means mountedadjacent said opening for pivotally mounting said closure member.

7. A device of the character described comprising a resilient casingadapted for mounting over the end of a finger and having a stencilopening in the upper surface thereof conforming to the shape of thefingernail and for exposing said nail, a ring-shaped member having arestricted body portion surrounding said casing and adjustablelongitudinally thereof, means on said ring-shaped member for retainingthe end of the nail in a fixed position relative to the stencil openingof said casing, said casing having spaced ridges formed on the outerperiphery of said member for receiving and retaining therebetween therestricted body portion of said ring-shaped member.

8. A device of the character described comprising a casing adapted formounting over the end of a finger and having a stencil opening in theupper portion thereof, said opening conforming to the shape of the nailof said finger, a ring member surrounding said casing and adjustablypositioned longitudinally thereof and means on said ring member forretaining said finger in a fixed position relative to the stencilopening of casing.

9. A device of the character described comprising a. casing adapted formounting over the end of a finger and having a stencil opening in theupper portion thereof, said opening conforming to the shape of the nailof said finger, a ring member surrounding said casing and adjustablypositioned longitudinally thereof and means on said ring member forretaining said finger in a fixed position relative to the stencilopening of said casing, said last named means having a support for saidnail.

LOIS PFISTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,180,519 Hamilton l Nov. 21,1939 2,251,551 OReilly Aug. 5, 1941 2,262,977 Vasil Nov. 18, 19412,287,062 Powers June 23, 1942 2,428,152 Goettel Sept. 30, 1947

